Noting that poor social and emotional skills can interfere with academic growth of elementary school students, this action research project examined the impact of an intervention to improve students' emotional and social skills. Participating in the study were students from one fifth-grade public school class, one fifth-grade class in a private school, and one second-grade public school class. The problem of low social and emotional behavior skills in the areas of responsibility, motivation, self-confidence, and cooperation was documented by means of teacher, parent, and student surveys. The intervention program focused on cooperative learning activities, team building, and character education activities implemented around weekly themes: caring, listening, courage, courtesy, fairness, review, honesty and truthfulness, kindness and helpfulness, respect, responsibility, manners, work ethic, and review. The effects of the intervention were assessed by means of a teacher tally system and parent, teacher, and student surveys administered on a pre-post basis. Findings indicated that for public school fifth-graders, teachers noted a slight improvement in student behavior, with slight decreases in verbal and physical inappropriateness. Students reported a noticeable increase in cooperation but decreased responsibility and self-confidence. Parents reported a slight increase in positive school attitudes. For private school fifth-graders, teachers reported slight improvements in student behavior, with slight decreases in group and verbal inappropriateness but increases in physical inappropriateness. Students reported decreased responsibility, motivation, self-confidence, and cooperation. For second-graders, there was little change in student responsibility, although there were improvements in motivation and self-confidence. (Three appendices contain the teacher, parent, and student surveys. Contains 20 references.) (KB)